Margaret came over a couple of days before she and I took off to the South Island for our long-anticipated walking holiday. Ray took us to the Hamilton airport on November 14th. That happened to be a Sunday, which did not please us, but we were to start our first walk on the Monday at 8 am, so we considered we had no option. Had Cerian still been in Nelson it would have been a different matter, we could have arranged things differently. We were met at the airport by Bill and Maryann, our guides for the walks. I had them drive us through Stoke via Devon St, so that I could show Margaret the Chadderton house. At Motueka we stayed at a backpacker's lodge called The Hat Trick. It was a great place, the owners were so friendly and helpful. We also stayed there for three nights between our three walks.
We started off on the Abel Tasman track. That is one of New Zealand's Great Walks. That is to say, the Coastal Track is classified a Great Walk. But there is more to the Abel Tasman than that. We first did the Inland Track. In contrast to the Coastal track, there were very few people on it. Apart from ourselves, who were a group of five, and a young Tasmanian who stayed at the huts with us, but was off in all directions bird-watching and exploring, we only met three other people. Two of them walked into the first hut only and returned the next day. One was a German girl we were surprised to meet on the morning of the third day, walking in the other direction. She had spent the night beside the track when darkness overtook her. That track was no place to walk in the dark. Apart from hazards of tripping over rocks and roots, it would be easy to walk off the track into miles of bush.
I had a hard time the first morning, as the hill was steep. We ascended 500 metres in two or three kilometres of walking. I was glad it was not all going to be like that! We definitely got the worst over first. After our lunch stop the gradient was not so steep, the bush was more interesting, and the track was more fun, with rock and tree roots to clamber up. We stayed at Castle Rocks Hut the first night.
The second day's walk I think you would have to love the bush to enjoy. We walked in it all day, on a rough track, up hill and down, but mostly down. Though I loved it, I got very tired by the end of the day. It was a 10-hour walk, though that included a long lunch break. Our second hut was Awapoto and that was my favorite. High on the hills, in the bush, with a view of the sea. The third day we finished the Inland Track, and thereafter walked the Coastal Track for four days back to the beginning, at Marahau.
As luck would have it, we arrived back at Motueka on Sunday. Margaret and I had prepared for this by bringing with us enough food so we did not have to do any shopping. We were able to leave this with our 'civilized' clothes in a lock-up at the Hat Trick. We stayed in our roomy room most of the day. Monday and Tuesday, our 'rest' days, we explored Motueka's walkways. We thought it was a nice little town. The people were so friendly and helpful. Margaret had found gaps developing in her boots between the heels and the uppers. She thought it may have been the result of the salt-water estruaris we had walked through. She was directed to a cobbler who sold her some mighty glue to fix her boots. I had lost the 'cradle' of my hiking pole. A helpful man at a sportshop managed by brute force to attach another of a different make.
Our next walk was the Heaphy, another of the Great Walks. This was my third time on the Heaphy, and I enjoyed it the best. The weather was perfect, and I think I was fitter than last time a couple of years ago. The variety of scenery was amazing. Bill and Maryann were so knowledgeable. Margaret enjoyed the wild flowers beside the track, and talked to Maryann about them. Being able to walk without a heavy pack was a novelty for Margaret. Bill and Maryann carried all the food. In fact Margaret insisted on carrying my sleeping bag the whole time. She had taken it off me the first morning on the Abel Tasman when I was struggling.
Bill and Maryann - with whom I have done about 12 trips - thought Margaret was lovely, and she thought they are marvellous.
At one stage Maryann asked me how old Margaret was. I told her Margaret was having her birthday on our last day of the Heaphy. Now the last day of the Heaphy we were on our way back to Motueka after spending the previous night at pub/motel at Karamea. We had dinner there. After dinner, what should happen but a birthday cake for Margaret, complete with candles was brought to the table! Maryann's doing of course!
It was a long drive back Motueka, because first we had to drive to the Nelson airport to drop off one of our group. Another two day's rest at Motueka found us exploring the town some more. That brought us into December, so I'll conclude my entry at this point.
If any of you read this before Christmas, I wish you a happy one. Rosemary.
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